Soldier killed in new 'bomb-proof' vehicle in Iraq
A soldier killed in Iraq was the first American casualty in a roadside bomb attack on the new heavily-armoured mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle (MRAP).
The hull of the huge armoured truck is V-shaped, designed to deflect blasts from roadside bombs, a weapon that has killed more American soldiers than any other tactic used by Sunni insurgents and militia fighters in Iraq.
The soldier, who died south of Baghdad on Saturday, was the gunner who sits on top of the MRAP vehicle. Three crew members inside the cabin were wounded.
The vehicle rolled over after the blast and it was not clear how the gunner died – whether from wounds in the explosion or in the subsequent roll-over.
There are more than 1,500 of the costly vehicles in service in Iraq and the Pentagon is working to get at least 12,000 more into the region, using $21bn (€14.5bn) provided by Congress.
The sophisticated vehicles are being built and put into service to provide soldiers and Marines with more protection than is offered by armoured Humvees, which have flat bottoms that absorb the shock waves from a blast.
The bottom of an MRAP is 36 inches above the ground, while Humvees sit much closer to the road.
